Your Weekend Health Makeover

Feeling burnt out? Use this weekend to reinvigorate yourself with a complete health MOT

Feeling burnt out? After a busy week, and a weekend promising more of the same, it’s no surprise that people are feeling fatigued and fed up. It doesn’t take long to reach a breaking point, but with so many priorities to juggle it seems that hitting the stop button is just not an option.

We need solutions that can work alongside our busy schedules. So why not start by tackling the niggling annoyances, like stress-knotted muscles or painful blisters? It’s amazing how tending to these small problems can have a restorative effect on your overall sense of wellbeing – leaving you feeling refreshed and prepared for whatever Monday throws at you.

Better yet, there’s no need to shell out for these remedies. Just take a look in the cupboard and you’ll find everything you need for a complete weekend health do-over.

From clearing up skin and fighting infection to refocusing your mind and getting a night of blissful sleep, these natural remedies will help you feel your absolute best. We’ve even got the fridge staple that can help ease your stiff back – and target fatigue at the same time. It’s now possible to clear a stuffy nose and cure motion sickness without making a single trip to your local pharmacist. Suffering from sore muscles? We’ve got natural remedies that are Olympic athlete approved!

You’ll be surprised just how many daily aches and pains can be fixed simply by using ingredients from Mother Nature. Not only will resorting to these natural remedies likely save you money, but it’s also a great option when you need a quick fix and don’t have the time or desire to head out into the shops.

To unclog pores

No matter what age you are, waking in the morning to find a moutainous spot on your face is enough to cause a dent in anyone’s confidence. While a regular skin care routine is integral to avoiding this most common of calamities, parsley provides a little known quick fix. We’re more used to seeing it sprinkled over pasta, but this naturally astringent green herb is equally useful for drawing toxins out of the skin. Simply fill a bowl with parsley and boiling water, before straining the liquid and soaking a clean cloth in the solution. Hold on the affected skin for 10 to 15 minutes and repeat once daily to leave skin feeling smooth and radiant.

Click or tap to zoom into this image

This is image2of9

To refocus a muddled mind

Stress… it’s terrible for your productivity, and even worse for your health with anxiety increasing the risk of fatal heart attacks and stroke by a fifth. So step away from the laptop and try inhaling some clarifying rosemary.

With its fresh aroma, rosemary is one of the most effective natural remedies for re-ordering a befuddled mind. Simply crush the fresh stuff in your hand, or enjoy a warming mug of rosemary tea.

It also has long term benefits, with studies showing that a key ingredient in rosemary, carnosic acid, is pivotal to helping the brain fight off free radical damage.

To heal blisters

Favourite heels left their mark on your feet? If left untreated, blisters can become the bane of your life. But short of shelling out for expensive blister plasters and wearing comfy shoes, there’s not much you can do about them. Fortunately, with its powerful antiseptic properties, mouthwashes are one of the quickest ways to draw infection-causing moisture out of blisters – allowing them to heal quickly.

Just dab a mouthwash-soaked cotton wool ball onto the offending area, and maybe wear in those heels a bit better next time.

To heal sore muscles

Olympic heptathlete, Jessica Ennis, swears by this remedy after a hard day’s training. If the latest cardio session has left you feeling sore and achy, try sprinkling some epsom salts in a warm bath.

The heat from the water will draw the blood to the skin’s surface, diverting inflammation away from the muscle’s pain receptors and allowing your body to relax. 20 minutes should do the trick, and don’t forget to stretch it out afterwards too.

Image credit: Rex Features

Click or tap to zoom into this image

This is image5of9

To relax

Combat fatigue, and make the most of those weekend lie-ins, by sipping on a tall glass of milk and honey before bed. Studies have shown that with its high levels of melatonin and tryptophan, milk is a key ingredient when it comes to easing yourself into a blissful sleep.

Heat milk in a saucepan to just before boiling and then add a drop of vanilla extract and a teaspoon of honey for a truly soothing bedtime beverage.

To ease a stiff back

Hours spent crouching over a computer screen are no good for our posture, so if you need to redress the balance and ease stiffened muscles a hearty salmon dinner is your best option.

Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to reduce arthritic pain in the neck and back by actively reducing levels of inflammation in the body. Studies have shown that this wonder food can not only reduce pain, but even target fatigue and increase strength.

To fight infection

Nip that illness in the bud with this all-natural saviour. Derived from the sandalwood tree, this deep, woody-scented oil has incredible antiseptic qualities that makes it perfect for fighting bacterial infections like the flu.

A firm favourite among aromatherapists, Sandalwood essential oil stimulates the immune system when dabbed on swollen lymph glands and it can even be drunk in a homeopathically diluted solution of water to target chest infections and digestive problems from the inside out.

Click or tap to zoom into this image

This is image8of9

To decongest

With a big presentation approaching, the last thing you need is a stuffy nose. Decongest the all natural way by using a little eucalyptus. Either use the essential oil as a chest rub, or dilute it in a bowl of steaming hot water and hold your face over the top.

Click or tap to zoom into this image

This is image9of9

To cure motion sickness

There’s nothing better than capping off the weekend with a rich glass of red, but if you’ve indulged in one too many the morning commute can become the stuff of nightmares. Combat rioja-roused motion sickness with a good dose of ginger. Numerous studies have shown that the root vegetable is just as effective at curing motion sickness as anti-nausea medication. Consume it infused in your tea, as a syrup or even flavoured in biscuits or candied sweets.